A Pair of Memories
by Analogk37
Summary: BGC: Next Gen One Shot - Three years after the fateful boomer summit, Yumeko Asagiri returns to the convention center, the site of her near death experience. But someone else she meets there also has some not so pleasant recollections of that day.


Credits:

Bubblegum Crisis by AIC and Others

Yumeko Asagiri, Xania, Greg, Sara, and Michiko by Amanda Stair (aka Purpleknightsaber)

Edits by Amanda Stair

A Pair of Memories

A BGC-Next Gen Fanfic

By Jeff Veatch (aka Analogk37)

* * *

The bike slipped through the pre-dawn highways just on the outskirts of MegaTokyo, the visor of the rider's helmet focused on the road ahead. The dimming streetlights reflected off the helmet one by one as the kilometers raced past. And even though the visor was focused on the illuminated road, lights of a different kind were the focus of the person inside the helmet.

One by one, flashes inside the memory of Yumeko Asagiri continued to relentlessly fire off. The sequence of events… explosions, chaos, screams for help, a bright flash of a lasersword, a gun blast… they all continued to replay in her mind over and over. She couldn't remember the last time the memories had struck this hard and this fast. Even in sleep those memories had continued to hammer away, putting an early end to her futile attempts at rest. The problem was she knew exactly what was so special about this morning that she couldn't even seek refuge in her dreams. It was the date. It was March 16th… again.

By now the date was a nationally recognized day of mourning in Japan, as well as many places around the world. But Yumeko didn't need anything to help remember the date. Nor did she need any additional help to remember the events at the convention center that fateful day… especially considering the memories that still seemed all too fresh in her mind. Despite her distracted state, she somehow managed to catch the exit sign for the convention center. She veered into the offramp and felt a twinge in her left leg as she down shifted. Apparently it didn't need any help to recall what happened either.

_…three years…_ she thought to herself, passing through empty sidewalks and silent streets. It was an eerie silence, a sharp contrast to the protesters and police who had crammed the area all around the failed boomer summit when they had first arrived at the site. Back then, she had struggled just to get to the convention center because of the crowds filling the streets. Now, she almost wished for the crowds… at least that way her hyperactive paranoia wouldn't have so much empty space to fill up.

The bike took a left turn into the convention center south parking area, slowing down to a crawl as Yumeko took in the rebuilt structure that came into view directly in front of her. For the first time since that fateful day, her red eyes focused on the site that had nearly killed her. The rebuilt structure stood tall, illuminated mostly by surrounding landscape lighting at the moment even as the dark canopy overhead began to fade away into the beginnings of a cloudless sunrise. She felt her heart begin to thump hard in her chest, making her rethink if she really wanted to go through with this or not. "I'm here already. No point running away now..." she managed to convince herself, but not without some effort behind the convincing.

She pulled into the nearest lot and parked the bike, killing the ignition. Only when she sat upright and tried to release her grip on the handlebar did she realize just how hard that she'd been squeezing it. "Oww… dammit!" She shook out her gloved hands, trying to relieve the stinging numbness persisting in them. But that only served to increase her anxiety even more, her breath shortening up, chest tightening. But she couldn't let it get to her this time. She wouldn't let the panic take over.

Yumeko closed her eyes and focused, calling on some of the tai chi methods she had picked up in Sacramento. A few moments passed and she felt the tension begin to ease somewhat… at least enough for her to step off the bike without risking a collapse. She pulled off her helmet and gloves, setting them down on the bike. She shook out her brown hair, waving the tied down part against the back of her jacket. Taking another deep breath, she dismounted then began the short trek up the stairs and to the convention center itself.

As she rose up the steps, her red eyes took in her surroundings noting just how devoid of life it really was. Her hand reflexively checked her spitdevil as the echoes of her steps were the only sounds she could hear. Even the familiar morning chirps of songbirds were absent from this accursed place. Yumeko had grown accustomed to those songs in her new house just outside Minobu. "Feels like a damn graveyard," she noted idly, fighting back the chills of the crisp spring morning.

Reaching the top of the stairs, it didn't take long for Yumeko to find what she was looking for. Next to the front doors of the remodeled convention center was a tall, shiny plaque fixed to the wall. At the top it stated in simple words

"In Remembrance of Those Fallen

March 16, 2055

Your Lives and Sacrifices will Not be Forgotten"

Below the generic title were three columns of names, listings of the over one hundred people killed on day seven of the boomer summit. At the bottom were signatures of three people: The Japanese Prime Minister, the mayor of MegaTokyo and Quincy Rosenkreutz, CEO of Genom… along with the date of dedication: March 16th 2057.

"Would've been real fun if me and mom had showed up like they wanted," Yumeko let out a snort. As two of the more famous survivors of the attack, the dedication committee had practically begged Priss and Yumeko to attend the memorial service a year ago. They both knew there wasn't a chance in hell that they would come out. And that was before they had heard the 'old man' was planning on showing up. Her mom reconsidered when she'd found that out, although Sylia was quick to put a squash on it at a team meeting.

"Nothing good could come of it," she had tried reasoning with her, shaking her head in denial.

"I can think of at least one good thing," Priss had smirked in response.

Yumeko was quick to add a chuckle of her own. "Like a broken nose."

"I was thinking of breaking something a little lower," Priss smiled, the corners of her lips twisting sadistically.

"Are you looking for an excuse to have a horde of boomers jump you?" Linna sighed.

Sylia ended it from there. "You both know it will not be the real Quincy. And if you do show up, Genom will be watching, waiting for you to try something. It's not worth it."

Maybe her mom had needed a little more convincing… but not Yumeko. She had already said her peace at the Nairobi Olympics, dodging around interviews as much as she could. However, invariably, the subject of her left leg… and the boomer summit… always seemed to come up sooner or later. But by the end of those two weeks, she was done talking about it to the press. No more. Nada. Besides, if she wanted to say anything to Quincy, it'd be with her hardsuit on… and backed up with Monsoon, no less.

So the dedication came and went. Yumeko hid out at Linna's gym that day, not even answering questions from the students and nimbly avoiding the couple of reporters that had tried to track her down during the day. Her mom had done much the same, avoiding everyone by hanging out at a relatively unknown music studio across town. For Yumeko, hiding out at the gym was one thing. But it was considerably better than she had managed to fare two years ago in Sacramento.

That day had started out with hellish nightmare reminders as well. She had tried to hide in the shower at first before skipping school that day and hiding out at the park instead. But try as she might to avoid everything and everyone, her friends in California had managed to pick her back up. First Sara, then Greg… with an assist from Xania. Yumeko found a slight smile on her face at the memory of the friends she had made there, a slice of normality in a school year that had been anything but normal.

Her hand rested against the inscribed names on the plaque. She didn't recognize any of the names. Having been so focused on saving her mom and Nene, she hadn't given much thought to the others in the convention center at the time. Now, she had time to think… and to read. But in the process of reading the names on the shiny, brass plaque, she noted her reflection becoming more visible in the morning sunlight. Her tired eyes stared into her own pale reflection. And even if her birth certificate said she was 19, she felt at least twice that old on the inside. It wasn't supposed to be this way though. Her life was supposed to be better than this. She was supposed to finish school at Kihi, graduate, celebrate with her only real friend from Kihi, Michiko… _…Michiko…_

Soft footsteps approached from behind Yumeko as another reflection instantly appeared next to her face in the plaque. Her blood turned cold as the reflection of a young woman with black hair accented with blond streaks materialized in that reflection. "Micchan???" Yumeko spun around to face the source of the reflection… only to find a stranger there instead… albeit a stranger with a very familiar hairdo.

The stranger's brown eyes lit up in surprise, her feet frozen in place. "Are you… Yumeko… Yumeko Asagiri???" she asked in heavily accented Japanese.

"Uh… yeah, um… sorry… but…" she stammered, caught off guard by the similarity to her past friend.

"Oh, the hair!" the stranger suddenly realized, shifting into a much more naturally sounding English tone. "Yeah, I can explain about that. Um, you do speak fluent English, right Yumeko?"

"Yeah," she grunted, already becoming slightly annoyed with the stranger in addition to the awkward situation of not knowing the person who obviously knew about her.

"Well then. I'm Patricia Williams. I… I just came here to… see the memorial again." The woman shifted her brown eyes past Yumeko and over to the plaque. She walked up, placing a finger on one of the last names on the list. 'David Williams', it read. The woman continued to talk to Yumeko even as she stared at the name. "My father died here three years ago. He was one of the UK representatives for the boomer summit. I… I came last year to the dedication. I was really hoping you would have shown up Yumeko."

"Had other things to do," she said tersely.

"I didn't know that then…" she explained, her voice trailing off. "Anyway, doesn't matter now. I can't tell you how happy I am to finally meet you."

"I can. You're about ready to piss yourself," Yumeko chided dryly, annoyance seeping through her voice.

The other woman frowned, glancing over at Yumeko and then catching herself staring at her face. "You… you look so…"

"So what!?!"

"… different…"

"Different? What were you expecting!?!," Yumeko fired off.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm used to seeing you much happier, much more… energized… like you were in the Olympics," the brown haired woman bowed her head.

The red eyed woman let out a snort. "They don't give out medals for being shot up in a terrorist attack."

"No, but you would have been recognized for your bravery if you would have come last year."

Yumeko's whole body tensed up with that comment. "No way in hell was I gonna come here and stand next to that bastard Quincy while he just stood here and smiled for those fucking photo ops!" Fiery eyes glared into the other woman.

Patricia took a step back, raising her arms defensively. "S… sorry. I… I understand that. I really do," Patricia said apologetically. "It's just…" she paused, taking another good look at the slightly shorter woman. "… here I am, finally getting to meet you after all this time and I can't think of what to say or how to say it," she sighed.

Yumeko turned around and looked away, planning her escape from yet another rabid fangirl… and a very annoying one at that! Not that there had been that many, but since she had started up her own gym, the pace that they had shown up unannounced and unwanted was more frequent. But there was something about this girl that kept her from running. Curiosity maybe… or maybe just her hair. "You said you could explain," she served up the comment almost managing to sound sincere about it.

"Explain? Oh, yeah… the hair. Well, it's easier to start from the beginning, I suppose," she paused, breathing in deeply before facing the plaque, her mind apparently shifting to full reflection mode. "A year before the boomer summit, my mom died of cancer. My dad… he was all I had then. And back then my hair was a lot longer than it is now, halfway down my back actually. One of my favorite things my mom did with me was braid my hair. And when she was sick… even if she didn't feel like it she would still braid it every day, right up until the day she died. Afterwards, I didn't … I couldn't get it cut," she continued, wiping a stray tear from one eye. "I just kept growing it out, day by day. My dad eventually learned to braid it too. He'd fumble with it and mess it up terribly sometimes, but he knew what it meant to me. When he'd go on trips, I'd do my best to keep it up. But he would always straighten it out when he got home. When he would braid it, that's when we would talk about school, grades, mom. It was our special time together."

"He didn't sound like such a bad guy," Yumeko added wistfully, thinking of the way that Tyler had tried to help her at times in Sacramento.

Patricia nodded in agreement. "I loved him dearly. But when he left for the boomer summit… and didn't come back… I was lost. I… I didn't know what to do. I didn't have any grandparents, no aunts or uncles. I had no one. The year after I lost my mom, I learned how to take care of myself… some… but when dad was killed, I… I fell apart. I barely went to school. I was only 15 bloody years old! How was I supposed to raise myself??? I wasn't ready to grow up yet. I struggled, really, really struggled for the longest time. But then, there were stories of survivors, people who had lived through the boomer summit attacks. And one of them was going to the Olympics," the dark haired woman paused, and then gave a quick glance and smile up at Yumeko before continuing her tale.

For her part, Yumeko could only listen in silence now, face turning a shade of red just slightly less colorful than her eyes.

"I watched every routine you did in Nairobi. I read every article. I listened to every interview. I put up posters of you in my room and lay awake at night thinking about how you didn't let anything get in your way, no matter what had happened to you and no matter how many scars your body had accumulated. By the time you were up on the podium collecting your medals, my mind was made up. I wasn't going to give up on myself and my life just because the people most important to me were taken away. You dedicated those medals to Michiko. When I saw pictures of her, I really did like her hairstyle. I went out the day after the Olympics were over, had my hair cut and the highlights put in just like her. And right then I dedicated my life to my mother, and especially my father. And I decided I wasn't going to let his murder be in vain. You see, I was still upset. I was angry. I was mad as bloody hell. But, I had someone to hate. I had the Knight Sabers."

Yumeko felt her skin begin to crawl as she began to rethink her plan to run away as fast as she could.

"There were already whispers that maybe they weren't as responsible as they had been made out to be. But at the time, I didn't care. I had some friends of my father start to do some research into them. I wanted to know which one of them had done it, which one had murdered my dad in cold blood. I moved to Tokyo. I started to research them on my own. I imagined myself confronting the one who had killed him… and I saw myself avenging his death, striking whichever one had done it down right on the spot. But, you know, a funny thing happened along my path of revenge. It took a turn, a strange turn that I should have seen coming, especially considering all the rumors floating around. I found out who was really responsible for killing my father. And it wasn't any of the Knight Sabers." Patricia faced the plaque and lifted one finger to it, pointing to one particular name at the bottom… the name of Quincy Rosenkreutz. A tear rolled down her cheek, collecting on her chin for just a brief moment before falling away. She blinked, her eyes suddenly turning cold. She swept up her hand, pointing it into the shape of a gun. She aimed it into the distance… and into a very familiar structure that loomed large over the MegaTokyo skyline. With a silent 'bang' she fired off a virtual shot at the top of Genom Tower. Her arm fell dead to her side as she continued her story.

"I didn't find out that Quincy had ordered the attack until after dedication last year. If I had known before hand, I… I don't know what I would have done. Probably just gotten myself killed." She paused for a moment, reflecting inward before turning towards Yumeko with a question. "When Michiko was murdered, you were stabbed around the same time, right?"

Yumeko's face began to burn again. She'd felt this way before… twice before in fact. "Um, y… yeah…"

"The way you talked about Michiko, she was your best friend. She was someone who you could trust… someone you wouldn't hide any secrets from. I could tell."

"Yeah, uh, Patricia…"

"My friends call me Patty," she interrupted, taking the initiative and holding her hand up to Yumeko. "But, first, let me finish, please. I need… I have to get this off my chest. You see there was some other information that came out of that research my father's friends had done. They had some video footage from the attack at the boomer summit. Strangely enough, they had footage of the Knight Sabers trying to fight against boomers that Quincy had sent out. There was one Saber who had a real rough time though. The purple one. She had a slash across the stomach. She was shot in her left leg, just above the knee. Even as I saw the footage, I felt as if I'd seen those injuries somewhere before. I don't know how she managed to survive, but… I know it must have been hard on her. Even her faceplate was broken. But… the face in the footage wasn't of her… it was of Genom's CEO, Kate Madigan. Oddly enough, she died of a heart attack in California a while ago, at least according to official accounts."

Yumeko opened her mouth to speak but was stopped by Patricia's hand one more time. "Look, I couldn't help but think that if Genom had found out who the purple saber really was, that her life would be a living hell. They'd probably come at her day and night. They might even come after her friends. She wouldn't know who to trust and probably wouldn't get any rest until something drastic happened. Something drastic like killing someone close to Quincy. But I know I could never do anything like that. If I wanted revenge for my father, which I still do, I'd have to find another way to do it, or someone else to do it for me," She gazed up into Yumeko's face with a twinkle to her brown eyes. "That's why I'm going to college this fall to start my business degree. If I can't fight against Quincy like the Knight Sabers can, then I'm going to fight him, and Genom, in a way that I can do it… I'll take every chance I can get to stick it to Genom and take their business down a peg or two," she punctuated by raising her fist up and smacking it hard into her other palm, managing to get a stress filled chuckle from Yumeko in the process.

"That's probably the smartest thing you could do, even though Quincy's been known to be pretty tough on his business competition, too" she warned.

"I know. That's why I would hope that the Knight Sabers would still continue to fight. And I'd hope that someday maybe they would be able to make Quincy answer for the deaths here… and especially for my dad. But, even if I thought I might know one of them, I wouldn't want to burden them with that knowledge. They have to be free of those strings. They can't worry about their friends or family being targeted by Genom every waking second of their lives. They have to live in the shadows. They have to live a sheltered life, a very lonely life. But I'd hope that they would know it's not in vain. People like me, we know what they stand for now. We know what they do for us. They've had our backs all these years, keeping Genom in check as best they could. One day, maybe we'll be able to repay the favor for them. I wish… I just wish I could tell them that."

"… patty…" Yumeko fumbled with words, unsure what, if anything, she could really say.

But the other woman smiled at her. "I hope I didn't bore you with my story, but it was really great to meet you Yumeko. Maybe we'll cross paths again sometime," she winked. The taller black haired woman then quickly turned back to the steps and strode away, leaving Yumeko alone by the plaque.

Yumeko watched her walk down the steps and to a small electric car parked in a lot opposite her bike. It silently pulled through the lot and into the brightening streets as she let out a broad smile, shaking her head in disbelief. "No wonder I never heard her coming." She glanced over her shoulder and back at the plaque. Her finger reached out and traced the letters of one of the names towards the end of the list. "At least I got to know the story behind you now, and I won't forget what you lost here. I won't let it happen."

Yes, the boomers were quiet at the moment. And hopefully they would stay that way, thanks to Emi. But down deep, she knew better. But still, after hearing Patricia's story, Yumeko wondered if maybe this wasn't the real reason she had survived the attack on the boomer summit. Someone had to make Quincy accountable for his actions. If the UN or the rest of the world at large couldn't do it, she vowed that she would. After all, that's what the Knight Sabers stood for… Justice.

And justice never forgets, just like Yumeko Asagiri would never forget that day… March 16th, 2055.


End file.
